Belt-coupling.



.G. E. PURPLE BELT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.3, 1908.

938,51 1 Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

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GEORGE EDWARD PURPLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FLEXIBLE STEEL LACING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

- BELT-COUPLING.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

Application filed September 3, 1908. Serial No. 451,482.

This invention relates more particularly Y to belt couplings, lacings or fastenings which are made from sheet metal with'clenchable prongs for securing them in the belt ends. Its main objects are to avoid weakening the belting where the prongs pass through it, to prevent straightening of the prongs and separation of the belt' ends by the pull thereon, and generally iofacilitate the manufacture and to improve the construction of devices of this class.

. It consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter particularly described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in ,the several figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a separable twopart loose pin coupling embodying the'invention as applied to a belt; Fig. 2 is an edge or side view of the same, the member at the left being shown as fastened to the belt end, and the member at the right in the form it has before it is attached to the belt; Fig. 3 is a plan View of a blank as partially formed for one member of the coupling; Fig. 4 is an end View of the partially formed blank as viewed from the left with reference to Fig: 3 only the 'Tprongs at the left end, of the blank being shown; Fig. 5 is a plan view of an interlocking twopart coupling also embodying the invention as ap lied to a belt; Fig. 6 is an edge or side view ike Fig. 2, of thisform of coupling; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a partially-formed blank for'one member of the coupling shown in Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modification showing the invention as embodied in a one-piece coupling; Fig. 9 is an edge or end view of the one-piece coupling as applied to a belt; and Fig. 10, is a plan view of a partially formed blank for this form of the coupling. 1 I Referring to Figs l to 4 inclusive,slaog;ving a separable form of couplin comprisi two members which are pivotal y connected like a hinge by a loose or removable pin a, each member is formed of sheet metal with two sets of alternating prongs b and 0, on opposite sides of and integral with a cross strip or piece 03 and terminating with oints e, in planes approximately perpendicu arm and lengthwise of the shanks of the prongs, which are adapted to lie fiatwise on the opposite sides of a belt to which the coupling is applied, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The prongs c of one set are made longer than the prongs b of the other set, and are bent 'as shown in Fig. 2 to form hinge loops or pivot bearings f for the pin a by which the members of the coupling are separably connected. When thus formedthe points of the prongs b are at a greater distance from the loops-f than the points of the prongs 0 so that the latter will pierce the belt out 0 line with the former, and will clench in the spaces between the shanks of the prongs b. The shanks of the prongs are primarily bent as shown at the right in Fig. 2, so that the end of a belt may be inserted between the opposing points e, which may then be driven through the belt and clenched, as shown in Fig. 1 and at the left in Fig. 2, with an ordinary hammer. v

\By making the prongs of difierentlengths so that the points of one set will pierce the belt out'of line with the points of the other set, interference of the opposing points with one another is prevented, the holes or slits made through the belt by the oints are distributed, weakening of .the belting .is avoided, and a more secure attachment of the coupling to the belt is obtained.

' The members of this couplinginay be conveniently stamped or cut from continuous or long strips of sheet metal, and. the prongs and points progressively in Figs. 3: and 4. i p 7 The points, in order to obtain the required taken from the metal between the shanks o the prongs, are primarily made of hook shape, as shown at the top of Fig. 3. The

formed, as shown" ength from a fiat blank, bein hooked portions of the points are exposed between the shanks of adjacent prongs in position to be operated upon and straightened edgewise by punches passing through the spaces between said prongs; The'outer curved ends of the shanks and hooked points being backed by a suitable die or support, the points are straightened edgewise and bent into the form in which they are shown on the second prongs from the bottom in Fig. 3 and the second prong from theright in Fig. 4. Finally they are straightened flatwise, as shown on the bottom prongs in Fig.3 and the prong at .the extreme right in Fig. 4, their faces on one side being brought flush or approximately so, with the adjacent edges of the shanks on which they are formed. These operations are preferably performed progressively On one The or more of each series of prongs at a time. Theprongs are then bent to the form in which they are shown at the right in Fig. 2, and in which they are ready for the market and for use. points 6 thus formed and disposed with relation to the shanks of the prongs, piercing the belt through which they :are

driven lengthwise instead of crosswise,

weaken the belting very little, if any, and being disposed e gewlse to the pull "or strain of the belt on their shanks, and'bent over or clenched laterally or crosswise with relation to their shanks, most effectively resist the tendency of such strain or pull to ztgil'aighten and withdraw them from the Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, showing-a modified form of the coupling, the hinge loops f are omitted and the cross piece d of each member interlocks with and serves as a pivot bearing for that of the other member, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6. In other respects the coupling is substantially like that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 8, 9 and 10, showing a one-piece coupling or fastening, the two sets of prongs b on opposite sides of the transverse connecting strip d, are substantially alike, gnd their shanks instead of being bent as in the two-part hinge couplin s shown in Figs. 2 and .6, are left substantially flat and are applied to the outer or corresponding faces of the meeting ends of abelt,-

as shown in Fig. 9'; The points e of the prongs are formed and disposed with respect to their shanks substantially the same as in the other forms of the coupling hereinbefore described.

Various changes in the details of con-- struction of the coupling and in the method 1 of the inately per or process of manufacture may be made without departing-from the principle and scope of the invention.

, I claim:

L .:-1:A sheet metal belt coupling formed with prongs connected by a cross piece and having points bent into. planes ap roximately perpendicular to that of the s anks rongs and lengthwise thereof, substantia y as described.

2. A sheet metal belt couplin formed integrally with prongs connecte by a cross piece and terminating in laterally clenchable points in'planes approximately perpendicular to and lengthwise of the shanks of the pron s which are adapted to lie flatwise and len wise on a belt end to which the coupling is applied, substantially as described.

3. A sheet metal belt coupling formed integrally with two sets of prongs connected by, a cross piece and terminating with points in planes approximately erpendicular to and'lengthwise of the shan s of the prongs, substantially as described.

4. A metal belt coupling having prongs integrally formed with a connecting cross piece and terminating in planes approxiendicular to and lengthwise of their shan s with flat points which are clenchable transversely to said shanks, substantially as described.

A sheet metal belt coupling having prongs integrally. formed with and con-' nected by a cross piece and terminating in planes substantially perpendicular to and lengthwise of their shanks and flush with one edge thereof in laterally clenchable points, substantially as described.

6. A belt coupling comprising twosheet metal members each formed integrally-with two sets of alternating prongs connected .by a cross piece and terminating with points in stantially as described. I

7. A belt coupling'comprising two sheet metal members each having two primarily divergent sets of alternating pron integrally connected by a cross piece an terminating in planes approximately per ndicular to and lengthwiseof their shank with oints clenchable crosswise of the shanks,

substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereto afiix my signature in Ipresence of two witnesses.

G ORGE EDWARD PURPLE. Witnesses: .PH 1L1P 'S. RINALDO,

"A.' B. BEAGH.'

Disclaimer in Letters Patent No. 938,51 1.

DIS OLAIMER.

938,511.Ge0rge Edward Purple, Chicago, Ill. BELT-COUPLINGS. Patent dated November 2, 1909. Disclaimer filed December 15, 1919, by the assignee, Flexible S Ear/mg Company. Enters its disclaimer To the one-piece form of belt coupling, lacing, or fastening illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of thedrawings of said Letters Patent, and hereby erases from the Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modification showing the invention as embodied in a oneiece coup ing; Fig. 9 is an edge or end view of the one-piece coupling as applie to a belt,- and i of the coupling.

Page 2, lines 44 to 57:

Referring to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, showing a one-piece coupling or fastening, the two sets of prongs b on opposite sides of the transverse connecting strip d, are substantially alike, and their shanksinstead of being bent as in the two-part hinge couplings shown in Figs. 2 and 6, are left substantially fiat and are app i Fig. 10 is a plan view of a partially formed blank for this form the belt, or any coupling which is not a two-part belt-coupling, the tWo members of which are separable and adapted to be pivotally connected and each member bent at an intermediate position to form hmge-loops or pivot-bearings and to bring the prongs into divergent alternating positions, so that the end of the belt may be inserted between the opposing prongs of the member and the prongs passed through Thereby limiting said claims 1, 2, 3,4 and 5, and each of them, to a two-part belt-coupling, the two members of which are separable and adapted to be pivotally connected and each member bent at an intermediate position to form hinge-loops or pivot-bear1ngs and to bring the prongs into divergent alternating positions, so that the end of the belt may be inserted between the opposing prongs of the memclenched.

[Ofiicial Gazette December 23, 1919.] 

